Belladonna chuckled, pulling her wrist away from his grip. "I knew it."
"Knew what?"
"That you can't make such a huge sacrifice without anything in it for you."
"Can't blame me, how can I seduce you if you are far away from me."
Eli stood up, filled with rage and sick of witnessing this.
"We should all sleep. Separately."
"That's sad," Alaris stood up, his stance filled with challenge as he turned to Eli. He was the taller, only by a little. His massive black leathery wings behind him held attention for their peculiarity. Everything about him was peculiar, like those glowing tattoos he had on his face and chest, that peeped out through the unbuttoned part of his shirt, his glowing hair, and his serpent-like mismatched eyes."I was planning to cuddle with you, brother."
Anger blazed in Eli's brown eyes, and for once, he let his tongue sharpen with his burning rage. "Alaris. Whatever you are planning to achieve with this seduction ploy of yours will not work. Give up now or--"
"Or what? What exactly can you do to me? What power do you even have over me? Amuse me."
Eli sized Alaris up quickly. He was like a lanky pole with not enough muscles to boast of against him. His hands itched to break him like a twig... and he would have, if only he wasn't bonded to him by this damn Bloodoath!
This was infuriating!
Everything was infuriating!
Everything and everyone that stood in his way to Belladonna was infuriating.
He hated seeing Alaris take his place. It killed him and traumatized him.
He hated this.
His claws dug into his palms and he broke their challenging gaze, looking away, as he tried to get himself to calm down.
This was punishment and he deserved it. Belladonna hated him now, for good reasons. He must respect that and stay away from her and from her matters.
"I'm taking her back to Vestros with me."
What?!
Eli's head rang bells. He couldn't even be sure if he had heard of this before, if he had, he hadn't been in his right mental space to process it, because what?!
"What?! Vestros?! Does she--"
"Of course, she knows. I'm not you, brother."
Sick and tired of everything, Belladonna laid her back on the floor and stared blankly above. "I already told you, it won't work."
"But I have a chance to try and a chance is sincerely more than I need."
A chance?
Eli's eyes widened slightly as he stared into the fire.
That was it! A chance!
That was what he wanted.
A chance with her but it seemed impossible now, and that made him so mad at himself.
He had ruined everything for them.
"You should send out an order to check the incident." He said instinctively. "See if there are any casualties and---"
"So much talking for a crownless mortal. Don't you think?"
Belladonna stood up, ready to remove herself from this situation. Her head was already aching and the brothers' trouble wasn't something she wanted to entertain.
Alaris was out for blood, he just wanted an excuse.
"I need to leave." Alaris stopped her before she could leave, and placed a kiss on her cheek before she could protest. "Don't miss me too much. Actually, do."
With that, he flew out of the cave, Belladonna's words swallowed by the flapping of his massive wings.
Good riddance. Eli thought.
Silence reigned.
Eli left, going further into the cave where Belladonna had heard water trickling from earlier. Tired, she found herself somewhere to rest. It wasn't working though, she just couldn't forget what a havoc she had been tonight. The bloodstains weren't helping either but she felt too drained and guilty to drag herself to the water so she could wash them off.
Also, she really didn't want to see her reflection, terrified of the monster she would see.
Eli came back some moments later with a bowl of water and some medicinal leaves.
Wordlessly, he helped her treat her wrist and she let him, because it hurt so much she didn't know what to do with it.
When he had first reached for her, he had braced himself up for rejection, but she hadn't rejected him and now he just wished he would never be done treating her injury so he could forever have this excuse to be close enough without having her push him away.
"Are you going to Vestros with him?"
"How much of it do you remember?"
A smile seeped into his eyes, his touch still gentle. It was almost enough to fool her that she truly loved him and not the side of him he had manipulatively created for her to fall in love with.
Almost.
"The Royals were dragons."
Belladonna's gaze was fixed on Eli's gloves as he moved his hands dexterously. In the past, she would have wanted to feel those on her without the gloves. The imagination had brought her pleasure many times while she touched herself.
Pathetic.
Now all she felt was anger.
She looked away.
"Were your parents dragons?"
"No. My parents were not dragons." His smile vanished.
Was he even telling her the truth? He probably was, there was no use lying anymore. At least, not one that she knew of.
"Are you going to Vestros with him?" That question again.
This time around though, their gaze collided and her heart skipped a beat. For a second there, she would have drowned in his smoldering brown eyes that yanked her into the storm colliding within him. She looked away quickly, angry that he still had this kind of effect on her.
When would she learn?
"It is not your concern what I do. I owe you nothing."
How long exactly would it take for him to be done with her wrist? It felt like forever!
"Please--"
"Ouch!"
"I apologize."
He should let her wrist go now, any more treatment might just lead to more damage.
"I'm not going with him. I plan not to complicate my life more than I already have. I'm not getting involved with any one of you after this."
He nodded. "Those things you said to the villagers, did you mean them?"
Belladonna huffed. "They were merely necessary."
Well, there went his hope.
"How many did I kill?"
He really should stop treating her wrist, but if he let her go, she wouldn't let him hold her again. "I saw only one die."
She looked away. "It is not your fault."
"I've heard enough of that already."
"You did not do it because you wanted to. I know how it feels like, it is not your fault."
She smiled.
How ironic.
She blamed him but he wasn't blaming her.
"Do you want a bath to wash it away?"
"I don't want to see my reflection in the water."
"You are burning."
"It doesn't matter."
"It does. Bellad--"
"Stop," her voice was gentle.
"We can use a blindfold and I will be there with you."
"Really?"
Was she considering it? That made his heart skip a beat. Even the slightest things from her had an effect on him.
It was insane.
"You are acting like I didn't just ruin everything and cause you more problems. Kami's father will never accept us into his home, what of the other brides' families? If they hear of this, I---"
"Whatever happens, we will work through it together. By Ignas, I just want to be with you." The words slipped before he could stop himself. "I mean---"
"Well, that isn't related to the brides at all."
"Donna---"
Rage.
"Bell! Or Bella or Belladonna like everyone else. You are not special."
Bitterness.
"Alaris calls you Nightshade every time, and you never complain about that."
"Well you are not Alaris now, are you?"
Throughout this back and forth, she hadn't tried to pull away from him... yet. That was something, right?
"Fine." It wasn't. "But you are getting a wash whether that interests you or not. I will not let your stubbornness push you to sickness. You can curse me all you want, and hit me as much as your fists can handle, but you will feel much better after a bath. That, I promise."
She was fed up with this.
Finally, she rushed up to her feet, as she tried to pull away from him, but he rose with her and refused to let her go.
"Do not push me."
"Or what?!" Looking up, she yelled to his face. "What worse will you do that you haven't already done?!"
He wanted to speak, but his features hardened with anger instead, and in one fluid and quick movement, he had her thrown over his shoulder.
___
((This chapter is dedicated to Cassandra. Your response to my Instagram post ( @at_imagination) gave me a sudden inspirational boost. Thank you)).